Deck 2: Environmental Systems: Matter, Energy, and Ecosystems

Question 1

Hydrogen bonds give water which of the following properties?

A) the ability to resist temperature changes
B) the ability to dissolve lipids
C) low pH
D) the ability to freeze into ice, which is denser than liquid water
E) high pH

Answer 1

A

Question 2

are composed of amino acids.

A) Bases
B) Proteins
C) Nucleic acids
D) Lipids
E) Carbohydrates

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Why are both ends of each water molecule positive and the middle negative?

A) Protons are more attracted to oxygen than they are to hydrogen.
B) Protons are more attracted to hydrogen than they are to oxygen.
C) Electrons are more attracted to hydrogen than they are to oxygen.
D) Electrons are more attracted to oxygen than they are to hydrogen.
E) Hydrogen bonds create a charge difference.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

We use to catalyze the chemical reactions of digestion.

A) alcohol molecules
B) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
C) nucleic acids
D) isotopes
E) enzymes

Question 5

Earthquakes result from _.

A) surges of magma from the earth's core
B) global climate change
C) release of gases from the underlying mantle
D) separation of layers within sedimentary rock
E) energy released from movement at plate boundaries and faults

Question 6

are the main water -insoluble components of cell membranes.

A) Acids
B) Nucleic acids
C) Phospholipids
D) Proteins
E) Carbohydrates

Question 7

During photosynthesis within plants, .

A) sugars and carbon dioxide are produced
B) carbon dioxide and oxygen are produced
C) water and carbon dioxide are consumed
D) the high -quality energy from sugar is converted to heat and light
E) oxygen and carbon dioxide are consumed

Question 8

An atom has 2 electrons, 3 protons, and 3 neutrons. What is the atom's mass number?

A) 3
B) 5
C) 6
D) 8
E) Cannot be determined from the information given

Question 9

Plastics are _ _.

A) unstable and break down easily
B) moldable, petroleum -based hydrocarbons
C) naturally occurring macromolecules
D) synthetic proteins
E) assembled by enzymes in cells

Question 10

Which of the following describes mass wasting?

A) the destruction of sedimentary rock by earthquakes
B) deterioration of an atom because of radioactivity
C) blockage of sunlight by volcanic ash
D) flood damage resulting from a tsunami
E) downslope movement of soil and rock due to gravity

Question 11

What is the type of rock formed when magma or lava cools?

A) geothermal
B) igneous
C) lithospheric
D) metamorphic
E) sedimentary

Question 12

River water stored behind a dam is best described as a form of .

A) chemical energy
B) kinetic energy
C) thermodynamics
D) potential energy
E) entropy

Question 13

An atom has 2 electrons, 3 protons, and 3 neutrons. What is the atom's charge?

A) -1
B) +8
C) -2
D) +1
E) +3

Question 14

Reddish hair in children is often a sign of malnourishment in developing nations such as Haiti. What biomolecule is needed for hair growth and is probably lacking in the diets of these children?

A) proteins
B) DNA
C) carbohydrates
D) lipids
E) nucleic acids

Question 15

Undersea earthquakes and volcanic eruptions may produce _.

A) tsunamis
B) lahars
C) hurricanes
D) pyroclastic flow
E) mudslides

Question 16

Which of the following reactions represents cellular respiration?

A) sugar + oxygen -water + carbon dioxide + energy
B) nitrogen + oxygen + sugar -methane + carbon dioxide
C) water + carbon dioxide -sugar + oxygen + water + energy
D) water + carbon dioxide + energy -sugar + oxygen + water
E) sugar + carbon dioxide + energy -water + oxygen

Question 17

Cellular respiration _.

A) results in a net consumption of energy
B) represents a decrease in entropy
C) requires the green pigment chlorophyll
D) releases carbon dioxide and water
E) involves a net consumption of water

Question 18

Which of the following describes a property of pure water?

A) changes temperature rapidly
B) molecules are noncohesive
C) can hold many molecules in solution
D) acidic pH
E) more dense as a solid

Question 19

is defined as the number of protons plus the number of neutrons.

A) Isotopic number
B) Atomic number
C) Ionic number
D) Mass number
E) Nuclear number

Question 20

What compound is the primary structural constituent of plant tissue, forming the cell walls of stems, leaves, and roots?

A) starch
B) chlorophyll
C) cellulose
D) protein
E) enzymes

Question 21

The "ring of fire" is _ .

A) a belt of earthquakes and volcanoes that occur around the Pacific Ocean
B) the underground layer of the earth's crust that is most prone to volcanic activity
C) the region around the Pacific Ocean most prone to catastrophic wildfires
D) the most visible, major ring of Saturn
E) the "wing" of the supervolcano found in Yellowstone National Park

Question 22

The primary source of increased levels of greenhouse gases on Earth is .

A) loss of heterotrophs
B) modern human lifestyles
C) increased photosynthetic activity
D) asteroids falling to Earth
E) aerosol spray cans

Question 23

Geologists have divided the geologic time scale using evidence compiled using stratigraphy, which is the study of .

A) tree rings
B) layers of sedimentary rock
C) plate tectonics
D) ancient cave drawings
E) layers of igneous rock

Question 24

When you burn a log in your fireplace you are converting .

A) proteins to amino acids
B) chemical to thermal energy
C) thermal to electromagnetic energy
D) electromagnetic to chemical
E) chemical to nuclear energy

Question 25

Approximately 40 grams of the radioisotope iodine -131 were accidentally released into the atmosphere during the Fukushima nuclear accident. The half -life of iodine -131 is 8 days. How long would it take for there to be 10 grams of iodine -131 left in the environment?

A) 8 days
B) 12 days
C) 14 days
D) 16 days
E) 23.7 days

Question 26

Which of the following statements about the rock cycle is TRUE?

A) Sedimentary rock forms metamorphic rock as it erodes.
B) Weathering and erosion can cause all three rock types to become sediments.
C) Sediments form igneous rock via lithification.
D) The cooling of magma forms metamorphic rock.
E) Sedimentary rock forms metamorphic and igneous rock via the process of lithification.

Question 27

Overpopulation contributes to global warming when .

A) solar energy is used as the primary source of energy, since it is a renewable resource
B) most of the population is vegetarian
C) it leads to deforestation, increased agriculture, and increased use of fossil fuels
D) we compromise our living standards in order to protect the environment
E) most people use public transportation

Question 28

The force driving plate tectonics is .

A) solar radiation
B) nuclear reactions in magma
C) freezing and thawing of water in the earth's crust
D) heat in the inner layers of the earth
E) gravity

Question 29

What are the three distinct layers of the earth?

A) oceanic crust, continental crust, mantle
B) mantle, magma, crust
C) mantle, crust, lithosphere
D) core, mantle, crust
E) core, mantle, lithosphere

Question 30

Consider the following processes: respiration, chemosynthesis, combustion of firewood, and photosynthesis. How many of these result in the release of oxygen into the atmosphere?

A) none
B) 1
C) 2
D) 3
E) all 4

Question 31

A solution of pH 5 has

A) 20; more
B) 100; more
C) 20; fewer
D) 100; fewer
_ times
_ hydrogen ions than a solution of pH 7.
E) Cannot be determined from the information given

Question 32

At a , tectonic plates push apart from one another as magma rises upward to the surface.

A) transform boundary
B) strike -slip fault
C) divergent boundary
D) subduction fault
E) convergent boundary

Question 33

How does burning fossil fuels contribute to global warming?

A) New energy is created on Earth when fossil fuels are burned.
B) Burning fossil fuels creates increased plate tectonic movement.
C) Fossils, if left untouched, cool Earth.
D) Carbon present in coal, oil, and natural gas becomes carbon dioxide when these fuels burn.
E) Burning fossil fuels removes water vapor from the atmosphere.

Question 34

You live in the Pacific Northwest and hear a news story about the dangers associated with pyroclastic flow. Which of the following is the news story about?

A) mudslides
B) tsunamis
C) volcanic eruptions
D) floods
E) geysers

Question 35

rock has undergone heat or pressure, causing it to change form.

A) Metamorphic
B) Sedimentary
C) Igneous
D) Deformative
E) Conglomerate

Question 36

Climatic change is a major concern for environmentalists because it can directly lead to .

A) a decrease in the amount of photosynthesis on Earth
B) an increase in the diameter of the ozone hole
C) extinctions
D) more biodiversity on Earth
E) an decrease in the amount of geothermal energy

Question 37

Preindustrial levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have been estimated to be approximately 275 ppm (parts per million). If unchecked, carbon dioxide levels are expected to reach by the year 2100.
Ppm

A) 825
B) 775
C) 550
D) 2750
E) 1100

Question 38

Why was the earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010 so much more deadly than the earthquake that struck Tohoku, Japan, in 2011?

A) The Tohoku earthquake struck a rural area, whereas the Haiti earthquake centered on the capital city.
B) The Haiti earthquake was much more powerful than the Tohoku quake.
C) Japan has a stricter building code.
D) The Haiti earthquake created a tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people.
E) Buildings in Japan are more rigidly built and less flexible than those in Haiti.